For ninjou.

[tenimuho]

[Tonight, Dazai is really drunk.

This is not different from most other nights in their favorite bar, save for a few things.

1. Ango isn't here.

2. Dazai is really drunk. The kind of drunk that has Odasaku concerned that he might be trying to die through liver failure. That drunk.

And so, it's with hesitation that he speaks up.]

Maybe you should stop drinking for tonight.

Comments

[tenimuho]

That's too bad.

[Well then, he's out of ideas.]

[ninjou]

[Thunking his head against the bar...]

That was a yes.

[tenimuho]

Oh.

[How is he supposed to know when you make a face like that, Dazai.]

Okay. Do you want to see a movie?

[ninjou]

[He's just... so upset...

Huff. Huff. Breathing... He finally raises his head.]

I'd like that.

[tenimuho]

[Nod. They can do this.]

Do you like romances? Or comedies?

[Horror movies are a little too close to their everyday life. All that blood and gore is a bit over the top anyway.]

[ninjou]

[Dazai laughs.]

It's going to be suspicious if we go see a romance.

[tenimuho]

That's true. [And really obvious, wow, Odasaku.] A comedy should be fine.

[ninjou]

Right. [Dazai has a weird sense of humor, too.] We should go see the one with the car chase in the commercial. What's it called...

[tenimuho]

You mean the buddy cop one?

[They can laugh at police officers more than they usually do.]

[ninjou]

Yeah, that one. We can laugh at how fake the gunfights are.

[He grins. This is good. They can have fun.]

[tenimuho]

Sounds nice. We'll have to figure out when they're showing it and we're not busy.

[Outside of bar nights, they don't see each other much or know each other's schedules very well.]

[ninjou]

[Dazai thinks for a minute....]

Sunday? I'm usually meeting with people, but they're never important.

[Compared to Odasaku~]

[tenimuho]

You shouldn't blow off appointments.

[Just for him, anyway.]

...But I'm not busy then.

[ninjou]

I just won't schedule them, so there's nothing to blow off.

[See? Easy. Also, a little more quietly:]

Can I walk you home tonight?

[tenimuho]

I'd like that.

[Also quietly. It sounds sweet, especially if done while more sober than the last time one of them walked the other home.]

[ninjou]

I wanted to do it sober.

[Reading your mind, Odasaku. He missed him... For a whole day, sure, but it felt like forever being in emotional limbo.]

[tenimuho]

That sounds much better than the first time.

[He didn't mind the walking home part, exactly - he would have even given up his bed without complaint.]

[ninjou]

[He cringes a little, and hopes Odasaku doesn't notice. He didn't think it was so bad... It was strange and silly, but if he hadn't walked him home drunk, he wouldn't have had the courage to kiss him and caused all the problems oh.]

I'll try to keep from getting that drunk around you.

[tenimuho]

Thank you. -I won't get that drunk around you either.

[For one, he just doesn't drink that much, and for another he doesn't think Dazai is the most responsible person to deal with someone falling-down drunk. Ango, maybe.]

[ninjou]

[Yep. He feels a little dumb, but he won't show it. No more getting drunk, probably ever.]

Alright. When do you want to leave?

[tenimuho]

Whenever you want is fine. You just got here.

[A drink or two is still okay.]

[ninjou]

[ONE DRINK LIMIT.]

I'll be good. When you're done, we can leave. [He gestures to the glass in Odasaku's hand.] Ango won't be here tonight.

[tenimuho]

...Do you think he'll be surprised if he finds out?

[Keeping it a secret from Ango would seem weird, but then again, telling anybody is bad, and Ango is an anybody.]

[ninjou]

[WELL Dazai's turn to choke.]

Are we telling him? We're not dating or anything, I'm just... you know. In like. And you just want to... you know. With me.

[tenimuho]

When you say it like that it sounds like you don't think I'm in like.

[Which is wrong, and Dazai should stop thinking that.]

We can tell him if you want.